Today we wish a Happy 36th Birthday to 2004 hero
Bronson Arroyo!
Arroyo spent three seasons with the Sox, including the
historic 2004 season. During that season, Bronson tied the Red Sox record for
hit batsmen in a season with twenty.
Wow. Twenty hit batsmen in a season. I’m surprised that with
twenty of them, I’m having trouble remembering any of them.
Oh. Wait.
Of course, Arroyo may have thrown the most famous plunking
in some time when he nailed Alex Rodriguez with a pitch in July of 2004. That
started a mild ruckus, and produced the most important photograph for any Red
Sox man cave. When the Sox came back to win that game in the bottom of the
ninth, it is often credited as being one of the turning points of the season.
A potential turning point of the postseason also involved
Arroyo…and ARod. Arroyo got the start in game 3 of the ALCS, and got lit up.
Much like everyone else in that game. So, when it came time for game 6 in New
York, Arroyo came out of the pen in the eighth. With Jeter on first and the
Yanks running out of time, ARod hit a slow roller down the first base line,
where Arroyo scooped it up. ARod, clutch as always. Amazingly, when Arroyo
applied the tag, the ball rolled out of his glove and down the line allowing
Jeter to score. Replays showed why it happened. ARod, classy as always, had
slapped the ball out of Arroyo’s glove. Oddly, you’re not allowed to do this as
a runner. You can bowl over the catcher in a attempt to jar the ball loose.
But, you can’t slap at his glove with your hand. When the umpires correctly
ruled ARod out, and that Jeter return to first, it was a crushing blow for the
Yanks.
The Sox went on to the World Series, where I was able to see
Arroyo live during game 1. He got knocked around, but the Sox held out.
So, for a fairly minor player on the team, Arroyo found
himself in a lot of major roles that season. Maybe that’s why so many people
were upset when he was traded away.
Happy Birthday Bronson Arroyo!
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